While mediators are considering a “final agreement” to cease fire in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, internal anger is escalating in Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been accused of obstructing a prisoner exchange deal, especially after the death of six Israelis two days ago. The White House clarified yesterday that President Joe Biden held a meeting with the national security team to formulate a strategy to advance the final deal.
It was also added that the group “discussed the next steps in the ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages, including continuing consultations with the mediators, Qatar and Egypt.” Before leaving the White House for Pittsburgh, Biden emphasized that Netanyahu was not doing enough to complete the prisoner exchange deal. However, he stressed that negotiations are still ongoing. He stated, “We are not negotiating with Netanyahu, but I am negotiating with my counterparts in Egypt and Qatar.” This suggests that the final proposal previously presented by the American administration will be submitted to the Egyptian and Qatari parties without further American consultations with Israel, according to Axios.
Netanyahu reaffirmed yesterday his refusal to withdraw from the Philadelphia Corridor (Salah al-Din Corridor), a narrow strip of land 14.5 kilometers long along the southern border of Gaza with Egypt, vowing not to yield to pressure. In contrast, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant described Netanyahu’s demands to maintain control over this corridor, which has been a sticking point in the ceasefire talks, as “an unnecessary constraint we imposed on ourselves.” He warned that “prioritizing the Philadelphia Corridor at the expense of the lives of hostages is a moral disgrace.”
This comes as Israeli protesters took to the streets for the second day yesterday, Monday, and the largest labor union organized a general strike to pressure the government to reach an agreement. Thousands of activists supporting Palestinians and opposing American support for Israel protested in New York City. Months of intermittent negotiations mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt have so far failed to reach an agreement on a proposal put forward by Biden in May to cease fire in the devastated Palestinian sector.
